Garment press



1., B. SPENCER AND 'P. E. GELDHOF. GARMENT PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT, 14, 1923.

1,426, 20 Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I I 3140mm James 5. Spencer Pgerfduam Geld/10f.

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.I. B. SPENCER AND P. E. GELDHOF GARMENT PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.14, I920.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. F 7

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JAMES B. SPENCER AND PETER EDUARD GELDHOF, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,- TQ UNITED STATES HOFFMAN MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

GARMENT PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A '15 1922 Applieation'filed October 14, 1920. Serial No. 416,936.

T 0 all who-m it may concern Be it known that we, JAMEs B. SPENCER and PETER EDUARD GELDHOF, citizens of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to presses, and eSpecially to garment presses of all types; but more particularly it relates -to improvements in power transmitting mechanism for high powered presses.

An object of the invention is to provide a new press operating mechanism which may be Worked either-manually for by power, or by both, so that a person working the press may manually bring the pressing head into contact with the garment or other object to be pressed, and the pressing operation be thencompleted throughthe agency of an electric motor or other source of power which drives the pressing head under great force against the garment. V s

This type of power press is extensively used in the garment manufacturing trade and in other institutions for the urpose of flattening, pressing and finishing edges, margins and seams of garments and other manufactured articles. This type of press is often known to the tradeas an edge press because it is extensively used for flattening garment edges where several thicknesses of material are sewed together; which material edges must be flattened out so as to be uniform with theremaining portion of the material and garment.

A press operating mechanism constructed in accordance with the plans of this invention is adapted to impart a final force to the pressing head to press an d,tin1sh the garment, and this final force is imparted atter the operator has manually brought the head into intimate; contact with the garment. A toggle or link has one end pivotally attached to the press lever, with the other end attached to a power lifted device. A cam, or equivalent element, is employed to move the power lifted device, and an electric motor or other prime mover drives the cam. In addition to these parts, a second toggle is joined to the first named -.'toggle and used purposely to break the first toggle so as to swing the press lever. A foot lever is attached to the second to gle for the purpose of breaking and straig tening it. The entire mechanism is so designed and constructed as to permit the operator to very rapidly work the press with the expenditure of little energ on hls part.

Re erring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is presented to show one type of press equipped with a motor and power transmission forming a. part of the power driven mechanism. In this view the pressis closed.

Figure 2 shows a press in opened position with the electric motor and transmission removed from the side thereof so as to clearly portray other parts of. the mechanism.

Figure 3 shows one practical form of toggle lifting device constructed in accordance with a new principle wherein a ball bearing roller operated cam works in conjunction with a lifting member to impart a final maximum compression to the press parts and head.

Figure 4 shows a modified form of the cam mechanism. l

The presses in this class of machinery commonly have a frame 5 in which is fulcrumeda press lever 6 on one end of which is carried a press head 7 which co-acts with a bed or buck 8. The press lever 6 is swung about its fulcrum point 9 to lift the head 7 high about the buck 8 so as to leave an unobstructed open space to smooth the garment or thing to be pressed out upon the buck 8.

A toggle 10-11 is pivotally attached at 12 to the rear end of the press lever 6. and has its lower end supported on a lifting member as later described. This toggle comprises the upper link part 10 pivoted at 13 to the lower link 11, and as this toggle is operated it breaks or collapses on the pivot- 13 to permit the press lever to swing in the frame and lift the head 7. This toggle is usually equipped with a compensator spring 14, which device does not really form a part of this invention. but which is necessarily used on power presses in order to accommodate the head 7 to various articles being pressed so'that the head evenly engages the buck under yieldable,, but firm pressure. "This toggle is connected substantially right angular with the press lever (3 and, when straightened, acts as a strut through which a high degree of force is transmitted to the press lever. A. spring 4c has one end thereof attached to the toggle to cause it to break when openingthe press;

A toggle comprising links 15 and 16 has its front end pivotally attached at 17 to the frame, and has its rear end pivotally attached at 18'to the vertical strut toggle 1l. As this horizontal toggle -16 breaks upwardly at its central pivot 19, the vertical toggle 1011 is likewise caused to break at its ivotal point 13.

A. power sliaft 22 is journaled in the frame of the machine, and a foot lever 23 is pivoted in the frame concentric with this shaft, or in reality is pivoted upon the shaft 22 so as to permit the shaft and foot lever to have relative motion; and the lever 23 is ordinarily provided on the outer front end with a foot piece 24 upon which the operator presses when closing the press head preparatory to working the press against a garment or fabric to be treated. A. connecting link 25 is interposed between the horizontal toggle and the foot lever, being pivoted to each member, in order that the toggle may be broken and straightened through the action of the foot lever.

As previously mentioned, a liftingmeniber or cam follower 27 isifulcrumed at 28 in the press frame and the lower end of the vertical strut toggle is joined at 29 to this lifting member. The part 27 is so constructed as to form a bifurcated lever having spaced parallel arms 30 in which is confined a cam 31. The cam 31 is fixed on the power shaft 22 and as the shaft rotates, the cam acts to swing the liftin member 27 slightly up and down onits fulcrum point 28 transmitting slow movement of great force to the vertical toggle 1011.

The cam 31 may be of any appropriate design, and reference to Figure 3 of the drawings will show a preferable plan for its construction. Here is shown a ball bearing 33 anchored on the eccentric 31, the outerrace of the ball bearing being slidably confined within the arms 30. In this construction, the shaft and cam rotate in the ball hearing which reduces friction to a minimum and produces a. smooth and efficient operating mechanism.

Any suitable source of power is used for driving the shaft 22, and in this instance an electric motor and gear transmission is employed. A worm-wheel 35 is journaled in the press frame and directly turns a pinion 20 which meshes with a gear 21 fixed on the power shaft 22. An engine, or preferably an electric motor 37 is installed on the frame of the machine adjacent the transmission parts described and is connected with the worm-pinion 36 through a shaft 38. As

the motor 37 revolves, the shaft 22 is rotated through the gear reduction transmission. The driving ratio between the motor and shaft 22 may be suitably compounded that variations in certain design, construc-' tion and operation of parts may be made without departing from the principles of this invention.

Furthermore it is to be understood that certain electrical equipment is necessarily employed in an electrical power operated press of this type so that the operation of the motor 37 may be readily controlled. Inasmuch as these electrical features do not constitute an important factor of the invention they are omitted from the disclosure.

In the operation of this press, the operator closes the press by stepping on the foot piece 24: or by pulling down the head 7. This action straightens the horizontal toggle which braces the vertical toggle 1011 in the form of a strut. The motor 37 is immediately started, either automatically or by manually operated switch not shown, whereupon the shaft 22 is rotated through 180 degrees, which drives the cam 20 to force theepccntric side thereof upwardly. This movement on the part of the cam drives the lifting member 'or short lever 27 upwardly thereby imparting force to the press lever 6 through the straightened toggle 10-11. This action of the machine parts engages the head 7 under great pressure against the buck 8 between which the garment is confined for pressing and flattening treatment. After the pressing is completed, the operator returns the press parts to normal position ready for another pressing operation.

The modified form of the cam mechanism as shown in Figure 4 has a bifurcated end 40 made on the lower toggle link in which is confined the cam 31. form of constructionof the cam mechanism, and may be used to advantage on some types of machines.

Claims for the invention are made as follows:

1. A pressing machine of the kind having -cooperating press elements movable one in relation to the other, comprising a toggle linkage arranged to close the press by being straightened and open the press by being broken or collapsed, a second toggle adapted to straighten the first toggle, a lever arranged to operate thesecond'toggle to close and open the press, a cam having connection with the first toggle to exert final maximum This is a simplified pressure on the press elements. and motor means to rotate the cam.

2. A power driven mechanism for presses of the type having a press lever and head, and having a platen or equivalent press element, the combination with a strut toggle connected with the press lever for swinging the lever, a second named toggle connected with the strut toggle to break and straighten frame and having the otherv end bifurcated to form a cam follower, a connection established with the aforesaid actuating means and cam follower. a cam disposed within the cam follower and adapted to raise the cam follower through a limited range of move.- ment to move with great force the aforesaid actuating means to produce high pressure, and power means for rotating the cam.

4. A combined manual and power press of the type having pressing members movable one in relation to the other. comprising suitable actuatingmeans such as a toggle to separate and close the pressing members, a foot lever connected with the actuating means for operating the press by manual power, a power shaft, a cam fixed to the power shaft and arranged to. impart great force through i the actuatmg means to the pressing member, and power means for rotating the power shaft and cam to operate the press by motive power.

5. A combined manual and power operating mechanism for pressesof the type having co-operating pressing members movable one in relation to the other, comprising suitable actuating means to close and open the pressing members, a foot lever connected with the actuating means to manually close the press to produce moderate pressure, a

'am having a working connection with the aforesaid actuating means, and motive power means for rotating the cam to exert great pressure through the actuating means subsequent to the manual closing of the press. 1

6. A combined manual and power press of the type having pressing members movable one in relation to another, comprising actuating means to open and close the pressing members.-a foot pedal connected with the actuating means to close the press under moderate pressure, a lifting lever attached to the actuating means and adapted to impart force through the actuating means. and motor means to move the lifting lever.

T. Apress comprising a frame, (.()()pl't1ting pressing members movable one in relation to the other, an actuating means for moving the pressing members. a lifting lever having one end pivoted in the frame and having the other end made in the form of a cam follower," a cam confined in the cam,fol-' lower, the aforesaid actuating means being connected intermediate with the ends of the lifting lever, a foot lever to bring the pressing members into contact, and motor means for driving the cam to produce pressure between the pressing members.

8. A press comprising a frame, co-operat- -ing pressing members movable one in relation to the other, an actuating means for moving the pressing members, a l fting lever pivoted in the frame and having connection with the actuating means, a bifurcated cam follower made 9n the liftinglever, aballbearing confined in thebifurcated cam fol.- lower, a cam mounted in the ball-bearing, a foot lever to bring the pressihg members into contact, and motor means for drivin r the cam to produce pressure between thl; pressing members.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this 30th day of Sept, 1920. 

